Supreme Court Denies Cert in Ridley School District v. M.R.

On May 18, 2015 the United States Supreme Court declined to grant Ridley School District's petition for certiorari in the case Ridley School District v. M.R. Ridley School District sought the petition after the Third Circuit ruled that the "stay put" provision of the IDEA extended through judicial appeals. The Third Circuit said: "the statutory language and the 'protective purposes' of the stay-put provision lead to the conclusion that Congress intended stay-put placement to remain in effect through the final resolution of the dispute." The court of appeals emphasized Section 14159(j)'s reference to "any proceedings conducted pursuant to this section" and noted that the proceedings unambiguously encompass civil actions filed in federal district court. The US Supreme Court sought a brief from the Solicitor General which endorsed the unambiguous language of the statute and urged no further review by the US Supreme Court. The Court agreed and declined to hear the case. The importance of the US Supreme Court's denial to hear the case lies in the affirmation of the assurances that the IDEA offers protections to parents and families when they must turn to judicial remedies. These protections include stay put and reimbursement during the judicial proceedings.